Chapter Text
Sunbeams bathed every corner of the park, and the sound of birds sweetened the atmosphere of the bustling place. It was soon filled with a group of children and a striking boy who, strangely enough, excitedly awaited his orders as he traced some chalk drawings on the floor to, according to him, play a little game from his childhood.
The children were already eager to play and tried to understand the older boy's calculated strokes, but their innocence and lack of knowledge of traditional games prevented them. According to the blond boy, what he was tracing on the floor was a squid. Amidst jokes and shrill voices, they mocked him for such an absurd and silly game. Kenny acted outraged that he was offended, but he loved how those curious children waited for him to finish.
"Good! As you can see, it's a squid! And I assure you, it's the most fun game you'll ever play!"
I heard screams and squeals of joy. Ready to play, they listened attentively to the explanation.
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"Ugh! No, I'm already dead, go on without me!" It was already the fifth round they were playing, and he was exhausted. Being practically superior in every way to those kids playing the squid game, he let them lose most of the time so his team could win and have fun. After all, he brought that game for them, just so they'd have memories like he had with his old friends from hometown.
Unfortunately for him, he was already sore from all the shoving and fake falls he'd caused himself against the cold, hard floor. Not to mention his dramatic "elimination" scenes, hiding the bleeding and dying.
It was one of the activities he enjoyed most, although it was unusual for his neighbors to see children playing with a young adult unsupervised. It was what he most longed to do with his friends again. It made him feel nostalgic. Each game he played took him back to a bygone reality where the world was easier, where his only concern was not letting any of his friends beat him and guessing what food awaited him at home after a long day of pure fun. Their game continued while the laughter intensified until he spotted a teenager in the distance enthusiastically approaching the blond boy.
"Kenny!" She raised her arm in greeting and ran with great joy. Karen had arrived without fail to meet her beloved older brother every morning. Kenny flashed a loving smile and ran toward her.
Now they were sitting on the sidewalk, right at the uneven road. The blond wanted to treat her to breakfast for both of them. Although Karen was already fed, Kenny ignored her annoyances and bought some cookies they were selling in the park anyway. Cookies that were another traditional game called Dalgona. He really didn't have much money to buy anything more elaborate.
"Why aren't you coming over to our house anymore? Yesterday I waited for you until Kevin told me to go to sleep..." he said, moving his feet against the asphalt as if it were the most entertaining thing in the world.
"Double shift, shorty, you'll understand when you're older, dear Karen," he said with feigned sadness while hiding a fake whimper, which caused the brunette to laugh and pout at the nickname and the clear sarcasm her brother displayed. At her age, she was already a full-fledged teenager, but Kenny still saw her as the same innocent girl who understood nothing about the world.
Karen continued telling him typical teenage things, and Kenny listened as if she were just another friend of his sister's. He reacted dramatically, gave wise but mischievous advice, and, most importantly, made Karen feel good with all the jokes and antics he made to cheer her up during the difficult time she was going through. In the end, it was the same feeling he felt in his time, only, for him, it was a very traumatic experience.
Talking to Karen was as if his world had frozen and turned to color. His spirits had lifted, making him the happiest person in the world. His sister was very trustworthy and kind. She spoke with overwhelming sweetness and was wise when it came to speaking, very different from her older siblings.
He loved her so much that it even hurt him over the "betrayal" that had happened with the McCormicks. After that incident, Kevin became very overprotective of her, to the point where they would even fight due to the pent-up anger between them. Kenny wanted to see Karen and even take her to the Tuckers so they could be a complete family, but Kevin was ferocious, a violent adult who would kill with words and "bite" anyone who came near Karen.
When Kenny and his new family moved to Ssangmun-dong after his father's death, he was very afraid of leaving his old life behind, as he would be leaving everything behind in South Park, where his friends and beloved sister were. It was a great relief when Kevin decided to move with Karen in a few months to a district near his own. They would finally leave the hostile and wild environment their "parents" had given them. When they finally achieved this, it was a great victory; he had never felt so glorious in his life.
It was as if life had given him all the Christmas presents he'd been missing up until that moment. He had a family who loved him, siblings who loved him, and Karen was there with him. But it wasn't going to be easy. The favor Kevin was giving him by letting her see her wasn't that he regretted all the abuse he had caused her when he was a child. No, Kevin worked every day without time to be with his sister, leaving Kenny with her. He didn't do this willingly; he had to beg Kevin to let her see him. Karen didn't know it, but the blond man paid a monthly stipend so he could be near her, which, according to the older man, was for Karen's expenses. Which was true, given the teenager's sincerity, although it sounded cruel; it was the only option to keep things calm between the two "savages" when it came to her little sister.
From that day on, he'd been paying Kevin for years to let him watch Karen grow up until now, when she was already a young lady. Kenny avoided saying it, but he wasn't going to admit that after so many misfortunes that had happened during those years, he had grossly neglected Karen by putting other priorities before her.
"Will Kevin be mad at you for being here? You know he doesn't like you seeing me without his permission, and especially not skipping school..." she murmured, her fingers intertwined with her blonde locks.
"Mmmm, I don't think he'll find out anyway... He's been really busy making calls all week, and he won't even tell me what it's about. It's very strange, they don't even call him that because of his job..." she took a bite of her cookie. "Which is good, so I can see you whenever I want, little brother!"
"Calls, you say? Ha! Don't be a girl! Karen, be careful with your brother, he'll get away from you." A few words later, this amused them both to the point of laughing together. Their imitation games and teasing filled the room with laughter, unaware of the time passing.
They both got up and started walking until they left the neighborhood, reaching the corner where their paths would separate: she to school and he to work.
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After a few arduous hours of work, it was finally time to collect their paychecks. He was leaning against a wall, waiting in the long line outside his boss's office, wondering how much his pay would be this month. According to him, he'd attended every shift, and it was only fair that it be a good amount.
That had to be the case, because otherwise, he wouldn't know how to pay the lenders.
He had that conversation with his mother months ago and had already contacted a company that gave him a substantial cash loan—perhaps one of the most tentative options. Without questioning the dubious origin of the money, he signed every agreement they offered him. As I said, the idea of putting the money in front of him made him so dizzy that, strangely, he signed one last contract with his own blood.
Money is definitely tempting and blinding to anyone, a pleasure to perhaps gamble to accumulate more profit, perhaps to meet up with old acquaintances and go out to party wildly, perhaps to bet large amounts of money to get other absurd amounts of the same back. After all, he always won when it came to gambling, that's how it was when he was little, he always won.
A month passed after the loan he took out, and he'd even forgotten everything he'd done with the money he'd borrowed. One day, dangerous people came looking for him for not paying on time. He was at work, and as soon as he heard his name, he ran away as if they were going to kill him. That night, he returned and saw a note in his locker that was a cold-blooded threat.
"Your decision: pay up or your head will roll. We know where you live. If you don't pay, we'll take your nice little house... You have one week."
Shit
He needed the money now. Otherwise, those scammers and probably gang members would take over his house if he didn't do something now. He hadn't even told his mother about his foolish decision, and he couldn't leave her without a home that had cost them so much after his father's death. Maybe, with the payment for his job, he could calm the gang members' angry dogs and have time to get money and pay them.
Why are you so stupid?
His turn finally arrived, and he was face to face with his idiot boss. With a look that didn't sound very friendly, he sized him up as if he recognized him. He began to take out bills, then threw a wad of them at him, which fell to the floor. Angry and humiliated, he picked up the wad, and as soon as the blond man counted his pay, his frown immediately appeared and his face turned a furious red.
"What's this?" a harsh voice came from his lips. He swore that if it were knives, his boss wouldn't count it.
"Your pay for the days worked." Anyone who heard those words could swear they were full of venom that only seemed to reward himself like the viper he was.
"This! This isn't even half of what I'm entitled to. I want my money!" he spat, shamelessly waving the bills in front of the scoundrel.
"What? You wanted me to pay for your mistakes?! Don't fuck with me! Weeks ago you brought those gang members here and you weren't even at your post, idiot! If you want some help for yourself and your stupid family, grab a few cents there, I'm sure you'll need them...
"You're a-!"
Without hesitation, with his hand clenched in pent-up anger scraping the weak tissues of his already bloodied skin, he savagely struck the boss in front of him, who, without warning, fell, giving Kenny a chance to vent his anger.
Blow after blow, kick after kick, and the crimson fluid staining the blond's knuckles; the riot began. People crowded together, their minds clouded by primitive hatred, and the simple, insolent sliver of money that was the cause of all the chaos in the place, something so simple yet tempting that it could provoke the most daunting war.
It was incredible how those same hands that had embraced the fragility of his sister, that had played with the innocent children of heavenly laughter, those same hands were disfiguring the face of another human being.
Blinded by helplessness, hatred, and frustration at the misfortune that accompanied him, he was separated by other workers to avoid further violence. After a tense silence with long, deep sighs, he heard a low voice barely audible over the moans and broken words.
"You're fired, you'll never work again... Tucker."
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The clouds closed off any trace of the sky as lightning approached, heralding a storm.
Kenny, after being practically fired from his old job, had no choice but to "quit" if that was still possible and head to the park, unconcerned that the people passing by looked at him in horror and disgust. He didn't even have time, or care, to see the state of his face. But now, in the silence of the park, with the faint creaking of the swings and the birds strutting their songs, all he could do was recap everything that had happened.
Why did he explode like that? At what point did his anger reach such a level that even he couldn't bear it?
He never liked fights. In all the years he lived with the Tuckers, he hadn't started or gotten involved in a teenage fight. Although he wouldn't say it out loud, he was afraid of conflict. Every time there was even the slightest disagreement between friends or family, it always ended badly.
Now this was the result: no job, no pay, no way to pay the enormous debt he'd incurred, and above all, no one to complain to about the misfortunes that befell him. Now he was in the park. Why did he end up there? He doesn't know; maybe it's just habit.
As if the universe saw him as miserable as the day he came into the world. His cell phone rang.
As if everything was crashing down on him, the voice through the speaker was desperate, sad, and pleading. It was Karen calling him.
It took only a few seconds of the call for Kenny to change direction and run as if there were no tomorrow, because maybe there wouldn't be one anymore.
Life was slapping him in the face again. Every time she saw him happy, all her natural forces worked to ruin everything and leave him dry with tears of helplessness for the life he had chosen for himself. His skin burned, and his labored breathing was all he heard now. He looked like a madman, he knew that. His throat burned, begging for rest, but just thinking about it only brought one thought to his mind.
"If I stop, I'll lose her forever..."
He crossed the suburbs of Ssangmun-dong and left until he reached the district where Karen lived. He entered the neighborhood until he reached a dire part of it. The neglected dogs greeted him with barking as the first drops of torrential rain fell. The place was discouraging and neglected. Unfortunately, Kevin couldn't find anything safer for two young people escaping extreme poverty after moving: the home of the McCormick children.
He barely touched the house when a brunette teenager charged at Kenny, with Kevin trailing behind him, completely unrecognizable to the blond. She had a distressed expression as if the news hadn't gone down well with Karen, but as soon as their eyes met, his gaze turned hostile and filled with hate.
"What the hell are you doing here, idiot?!" he raised his voice, pure venom as he spat. "The last time you were here, I made it very clear I didn't want to see you again! Go back to your family and don't come back! Tucker..."
He was about to answer, with the anger built up throughout the day; for some strange reason, Kevin made him so primitive with his emotions. He was about to answer with the same venom with which Kevin insinuated himself. But Karen's grip on his waist tightened, stopping any movement. Her glassy gaze brought him back to reality, away from the crimson of hatred that enveloped his vision. There he understood, and like the person the Tuckers raised, he began to talk.
"Why the hell are they leaving here?" Her voice sounded determined, but weak, leaving a trace of pain on her part. "Y-you can live in any house in any district... Why go to another country?!"
Her voice cracked, and the lump in her throat made it impossible to form any words.
Kevin refused to lift his head to finally look his former brother in the eyes. He refused to see Kenny's pleading eyes, capable of speaking, that clearly said:
"Don't take her away from me, for God's sake, don't take her away from me..."
Minutes passed, and all they could hear was the teenager hiccuping while crying and clinging to the blond, Kenny trying to hide his sobs with his glassy eyes, unwilling to stop crying, and finally Kevin, who stood firm like a wall of ice, someone who had already made the decision about their future. The future of both of them.
"Karen will have more opportunities elsewhere than here. I will take her in as her legal guardian and make sure that her environment is the best she has here..." His harsh voice destroyed the fragile atmosphere that had been created.
"You just want to separate her from me! Why won't you admit it? You hate me so much that you don't even want to see her with me anymore, don't you?" He snapped, trying to get rid of the lump in his gut. "Well, I don't care! J-just tell me how much you want for them to stay... just tell me the amount you want."
"Can't you see our sister is crying without one of us?"
"...Why should I listen to a stranger? You're nobody to me, and I shouldn't have to receive something from a stranger in exchange for my sister. That's all-"
"Kevin, please!" He interrupted with a scream that he was sure had alerted the surrounding neighbors. "Please... just tell me."
An absurd deal they'd already made years ago, but now Kevin denied it, as if he were the devil himself for proposing such a tremendous idea: money in exchange for his sister. But that was all there was to it. Money was what was needed, what adults needed to support their loved ones. In his mind, it was only fair.
— If you want to see her, your "debt" will be greater... I'll make sure Karen goes to the best schools, dresses her best, and lives without any needs. If you want to see her one more time, your debt will be greater than you think... Because if I take her and you can't see her with everything I'm asking for, it's simple.
My heart ached as soon as Kevin coughed up the amount of money needed to see his little sister, it was more than I could afford.
— Then... Then I'll fight for her! I'm better off than you! I can easily take her away from you and become her legal guardian! — a ridiculously long silence that only allowed the drizzle to be heard.
—You can't even control yourself... Do you think those idiots will give you custody?...
His words fell like a bucket of cold water. Kevin was right, and it hurt.
His sister cried when she saw Kenny stunned. Was that it? Was this the last time he would see her? Would he not see her at school every day anymore? Would they no longer play in the park with other children? Would he no longer see her beautiful smile that brightened his day? Was he really so bad as to deserve such a punishment?
A discouraging hug was the last thing that happened. Kenny was gone, unable to utter a word, his eyes worthy of growing trauma. Another loved one was about to leave...
He doesn't know how long it took, but when he felt the coldness of being cruelly separated from Karen by Kevin, who simply carried her into the house without any resistance, leaving him there on the icy floor with the rain soaking everything that remained of him, he felt like his other half had been taken away from him...
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His head was spinning and his eyes burned just from looking at the lamppost in front of him. He didn't know how he'd gotten there, or why his feet had carried him to the bus stop where the bus was waiting to return to his distant neighborhood. Now he had a shelter at the stop, awaiting him from the torrential rain.
His gaze was fixed on nothingness; he felt cold, and everything in him was a walking disaster. He wanted to cry and let out all the pent-up frustration, but he was too tired to do so. He stared at the violent rain that fell rapidly, and he was left behind, alone and depressed.
He doesn't know when it happened or how he didn't feel the other presence that sat next to him, but there it was, admiring the rain falling next to him in an eerie silence.
What the f-
"Good evening, sir. Do you have a minute?" the redhead finally spoke with a disgustingly friendly smile that seemed more deranged than genuinely peaceful.
"I'm not interested in what you're selling, thank you..."
"It's not what you think, sir. This is a great opportunity that-..."
"Didn't you hear me? I'm not interested in any of your products or anything you're selling. Just leave me alone, or I swear I'll call the police to arrest you and make you rot in jail!" he exploded.
He was so irritated that the last thing he needed was to spend it on something else. He turned away, ignoring the other man as if he'd never existed and ruining his moment of bankruptcy.
"Sir, do you want to play a game with me?" asked the man with dark eyes and freckles.
"Don't you have anyone else to bother?" he said, not thinking about the deserted place they were in. "Look, I understand that your situation is unfortunate enough to beg for money, but I'm the same!" So you're wasting your time with me...
His gaze fell on the suitcase the redhead pulled out between them, which, to his surprise, contained two squares of blue and red paper, and of course, a lot of bills that caught the blond's attention.
"Sir, do you know Ddakji? If so, play with me. Every time I win, I'll give you 100 won, okay?"
"Excuse me?"
"And every time I win, you'll give me one hundred won... I'll let you start. Is that okay?" he concluded, offering the two red and blue envelopes in front of him face.
At this point, everything around him didn't matter to him; the situation was so unreal that she couldn't think of a sensible response at the moment.
"I swear, if this is a damn scam, I'll kill him..." he sighed. "Give me the blue one."
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And that's how Kenny had to remember his greatest exploits with his childhood game. Precisely remembering how terrible he was at it.
As soon as he stood up and slammed the envelope against the floor to make it spin, and then to make it stop spinning, he knew he must have practiced more in the past, especially when the man in a suit moved it inches away and then did it perfectly, to Kenny's surprise and horror.
"You don't have anything to pay me with, do you?" he asked, under the other's nervous gaze. "You can pay me with your body, you know?"
"Hey, listen, what do you mean..." he was interrupted by the subtle slap he could swear to. Not even the blows that day would have been as strong as the one the redhead had just given him.
A normal person would be offended, walk away, or maybe slap him back, but he was stubborn and excessive, so much so that he asked for more chances just to win.
What only left
Another slap
Two more slaps
Another one wouldn't hurt
After all, no one was watching, right?
He'd already had two fights that day; five slaps were nothing to him.
Another one and...
I win?
I win!
As if everything around him was in slow motion, he swore he could hear melodies of triumph. He raised his arms and, just like a toddler, began to jump while enjoying his great victory, ignoring the applause of the other. A feeling as warm as when you win a game...
"I did it! I did it! See, I could do it! Let's go!" He cackled, a sign of his happiness that relieved any pain in his body. But his immense happiness was overshadowed by the arm extended to him with a juicy amount of bills, bringing him back to reality.
"Congratulations."
He couldn't remember the exact time he had so many bills in his hand, aside from the loan, nor did he remember feeling that sensation you only get when you receive money without much effort. Right now, Kenny was feeling it, and he liked it. However, a feeling of unease washed over him when the redhead interrupted his gambling celebration to tell him about the money. It had been a long time since he'd felt this way while playing. It made him... nostalgic.
"You can make even more money playing simple games, sir..." he commented, putting the entire game back into his briefcase. "From what I see... You seem to be quite good at playing."
"Tch, whatever... " He rolled his eyes and then prepared to leave. " Thanks for the money, bye bye..."
He was about to leave when he heard the guy make some unwanted revelations.
" Kenny Tucker... High school graduate, former multi-jobber, currently unemployed from his job as a porter; he owes lenders over a thousand won with collateral on all his belongings, including his house, and has a large debt due to family matters."
The blond man was stunned by the information revealed that was supposed to be private only to him. Who the hell was this guy?
" Ha, why are you following me? Is he some kind of extortionist? I'm warning you, if you are, I'll call the police and-..."
He was standing face to face with the man in a suit when the other pulled out a card with some notable figures of a circle, triangle, and square, and a phone number.
"We'd be delighted to have you at the games, think about it." Without further ado, the man took an umbrella out of his briefcase and began to walk away until he disappeared into the distance, leaving Kenny holding the card.
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The return home was encouraging. The money in his hands made him so happy that he jumped every time he remembered his great triumph. He was happy and ready to get home to show his mother and Tricia the juicy prize he had won.
However, his pace slowed when he saw his house in the distance, Laura apologizing, clearly scared, in the doorway, while in front of her stood five remarkably robust and strong men capable of destroying anyone with a couple of blows. Those men were looking for him...
He immediately slipped through his neighbor's yard and then climbed the fences separating both houses. As soon as he reached the ground, he mentally strained not to make a sound that would alert the "hitmen" at the front door. He took small steps until he reached the back of the house where, thanks to his brother Craig, there was a homemade ladder he had built some time ago to clearly sneak his then-boyfriend inside without his mother finding out. With great difficulty, he climbed the stairs until he reached the empty room he had shared with the black man years ago, and there he had to wait in silence until he heard his mother close the door.
He was about to leave to explain everything to the blonde until he heard two people coming up the stairs into the hallway, and then she heard the orange-haired woman.
"Mom, please stay calm... My brother will fix this, you'll see..."
A muffled voice appeared. "You saw those men, daughter. As soon as they find Kenny, they'll beat him up, or maybe worse! I need to talk to him..."
"Mom, please calm down, you're getting upset..."
"It's just that he can't be so... Ugh! I don't know what he's getting into, my God, they'll kill him as soon as they see him, and from what he said, if he doesn't pay his debt, they'll take the house and his person as collateral..."
What?
Suddenly, he heard Laura's heartbreaking cry that crushed any happiness she felt, a sharp, painful pain in her heart, already worn out by the horrible feeling. He collapsed and huddled behind the door to continue listening.
— Not even Craig shows up to help us... Maybe he doesn't even care about us anymore, that's why he never came back and doesn't even dare to answer...
He heard two women wailing, which ended up devastating him. What would he have to do to fix this mess? Why had he been so stupid to fall for that scam? Was there a way to fix it?
At that moment, he remembered the money stashed inside his jacket and instinctively reached for the invitation the strange man had given him.
Easy money...
Without thinking and without making much noise, he called the number on the card. Without waiting, a man answered, asking for his name and date of birth, and finally, telling him certain rules he would have to follow if he wanted to play the games.
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It was already past midnight, and the bus stop was deserted. He waited a few minutes before spotting a single white van approaching him. He approached the driver's window, who was wearing an eccentric pink suit and a mask that hid his face.
"Password..."
"Um, red light, green light..."
The van doors slid open to allow Kenny to get in. He hesitated to board such a strange van, but he looked up, unconcerned about the distrust the whole thing emanated. He got in and sat next to two people who were fast asleep.
"Everyone seems tired, huh..." he tried to chat with the driver. "And how long will it take us to get there..."
Blinding smoke sprayed throughout the van. His eyelids grew heavy, his muscles weakened, and he succumbed to the exhaustion that made him fall asleep immediately, ignoring the horrible fate that had just befallen them.
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